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Maintaining a healthy heart: advice from a top cardiologist

Looking after your heart is critical not only for a long and healthy life but also for your overall well-being.

June 22, 2023 15:42
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Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, keeping you at your very best and able to do the things you love, with those you love. Below, Professor Stephen Brecker, cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, offers his expert advice on how to maintain a healthy heart.

Do you know your risks?
The biggest challenge to heart disease is that the causes often have no symptoms. They may include high cholesterol, high blood pressure or an undetected heart problem.

It is important to acknowledge these often-hidden risks, including potential genetic factors. Ashkenazi Jews may have a risk of high cholesterol due to a common genetic disorder called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). FH can cause significantly high levels of cholesterol to accumulate in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. There is little awareness of FH among Ashkenazi Jews despite an incidence that is two to five times higher than in the general population.

Beyond this, there are several familial conditions that may increase your risk of a cardiac event. And while you can’t change your family history, you can reduce your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases through the tips in this article.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood. It’s essential for life, but high levels of cholesterol block blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart problems and stroke.

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Health